Africa: Rooftop farming: why vertical gardening is blooming in Kampala

Urban farms in Kampala, Uganda, make the most of their limited space. Photograph: Nils Adler

Ugandans are finding creative solutions to the growing challenges of urbanisation

By Nils Adler in Kampala
The Guardian
19 Sep 2018

Excerpt:

The urban farm is just one of many springing up in and around Kampala, a city of more than 1.5 million people, as residents find creative solutions to the challenges of urbanisation. Between 2002 and 2010, Uganda’s urban population grew by 5.6%. This process, Martin Agaba believes, is eroding young people’s interest in Uganda’s agricultural sector, which employs approximately 69% of the population.

Agaba trains children that live around Kwagala farm in how to grow strawberries, yams and spring onions. “We are motivating children to not rely just on boda bodas (motorcycle taxis – a popular form of informal employment) or TV but to do something creative every day.”

Brian Ndyaguma, an entrepreneur and restaurant owner, says: “Somehow the young generation deserted the way our parents’ generation did things, so if you are going to convince young people to jump into agriculture, it has to be made sexy – it has to be made appealing to them”.

Read the complete article here.